The spread of COVID-19 and the ensuing global lock-down as governments try to slow the spread of the corona virus has tested individuals and institutions around the world. Since March of 2020, the ACG has stepped up its digital programming by hosting webinars and video discussions which bring together policy makers and thought leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss some of the key issues shaping transatlantic relations in an unprecedented time. In addition to organizing events on its own, the ACG has also partnered with other organizations such as 1014 and Atlantik-Brücke to launch new series designed to reach beyond the ACG community.
On November 20, the American Council on Germany, the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), and the German Studies Association (GSA) hosted the second installment of Meet a Bundestag Member: German Politics Today with Elisabeth Kaiser, Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany and Member of the Bundestag. The discussion was held in German.
On November 19, the ACG, 1014, and the Goethe Institut hosted a virtual discussion on international law. Samuel Moyn, Chancellor Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, joins us with Alexander Görlach, journalist and adjunct professor for democratic theory at NYU Gallatin School, to reflect on the state of the post-World War II international order. In a time when multilateral cooperation faces significant challenges, we discuss how diplomacy and the rule of law can be strengthened so that, in the face of conflicts from Ukraine and Gaza to potential tensions over Taiwan, the principle of “might makes right” does not overshadow efforts toward peace, justice, and stability.
The ACG regularly hosts discussions with a journalist based in Berlin on the topics making the headlines and shaping political discourse. On November 17, the ACG held a Kaffeepause with Vladimir Balzer, Award Winning Journalist and Moderator for Deutschlandradio.
In the United States (and many countries), money has long played a central role in politics, shaping who gets elected, which policies are prioritized, and whose voices are heard. From campaign contributions to corporate lobbying, financial influence impacts the political system, often determining outcomes before the public even has a chance to weigh in. On November 11, the ACG held a discussion on the impact of campaign finance, lobbying, and corporate contributions on politics with authors Julian Heissler and Ray Madoff, who examined the ways financial interests shape legislation, sway political decisions, and ultimately affect the everyday lives of citizens.
For decades, the official German approach to Russia was defined by dialogue, trade, and the hope that economic interdependence would lead to political stability. In the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, that assumption has been shattered — prompting a fundamental reckoning with the ideas and interests that shaped Germany’s Russia policy. In their new book Das Versagen (“The Failure”), journalist Katja Gloger and co-author Georg Mascolo trace how political leaders, intelligence agencies, and business interests misunderstood the Kremlin’s intentions, overlooking clear warning signs. Their investigative account opens a critical window into the inner workings of German decision-making and the lessons for Europe’s future security. On November 5, the ACG held a virtual discussion with author Katja Gloger and Dr. Angela Stent (1982 Young Leader), Senior Adviser to the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University, on what went wrong, how policymakers in Berlin and Washington D.C. interpreted Russia’s trajectory, and what a realistic long-term strategy toward Moscow might look like.